MechWarrior Online adds “Conquest” to available Play Modes and Enhances many other elements

Massive new additions to MechWarrior Online will be live today as Piranha Games and Infinite Game Publishing announce “Conquest Mode” – the highly anticipated mode that allows for capturable locations in the Inner Sphere, greatly altering gameplay strategies. In addition to Conquest Mode, three epic new Mechs are available today as well as a new twist on an urban environment that will force you to walk the precipice of darkness (and ledges): River City Night. For beginners, the developers have addressed ease-of-advancement issues faced by new players by implementing an entirely new reward system enabling a more rapid advancement toward purchasing more powerful Mechs. Existing players will also benefit from economy changes.

“Conquest mode is a huge addition to how the game is played and one that I think veteran players will enjoy” said Bryan Ekman, creative director at Piranha Games. “We’re also excited to see how new players react to the changes in advancement at the beginning of the game. One issue we’ve heard repeatedly is that MechWarrior Online has a steep learning curve. We feel this content update drastically improves this aspect of the game and look forward to hearing the feedback from new players.”

The full run down of content in the Conquest Mode update is below:

Conquest Mode – a key game mode inspired by the BattleTech franchise, Conquest Mode puts five capturable locations on the map, each of which give players points over time as they are held. Players can neutralize and then capture enemy locations by standing on them. Cooperation among your lance is more important than ever as competing teams will constantly be trying to outflank the other and new strategies will need to be formed to win the match.

Economy Update and New Cadet Bonus Rewards – Fans who have not yet tried MechWarrior Online have a new reason to jump in and get hooked this holiday. New players will receive a “Cadet Bonus” (C-Bills bonus) for the first 25 games, enabling new recruits to advance faster and purchase more powerful Mechs. Additional economy changes include trial Mechs getting the same rewards as normal Mechs (including Mech XP), a one-time bonus for existing players who have completed over 26 matches and rewards given based on active participation for each round, i.e. gameplay performance for securing a win, loss and kill values among other fairness and balance changes.

Three New Mechs – All with different combat styles, histories and unique battlefield advantages:

o Two Hero Mechs – The Twin Dragons: Piloted by brothers, these Mechs have very different styles of combat; one focuses on close range brawling, and the other on long-range attacks. Ever trying to best the other, they can be found side-by-side, but always trying to outshine the other. Born on New Samarkand and part of a noble family, they attended the Sun Zhang MechWarrior Academy together; upon graduation, each was given a Dragon – to Martin, a DRG-1C belonging to his grandmother, and to Donald, a DRG-1N that belonged to their father.

o The Stalker Assault Mech – Weighing in at 85 tons and containing multiple missile and energy slots with a terrifying primary variant, this Assault Mech – a giant on the battlefield – may soon be one of the most popular in the Mech lineup.

River City Night Map – This urban map is extremely dark, which means Night Vision and Thermal Vision are a must. Weapons fired in the background will light up the night sky, but don’t get distracted by the fireworks; make sure to watch out for ledges and avoid falling into the water when scouting for enemies.

Phranken Mech Pattern and Camo Spec Paint – These newly released badass patterns and paint specs can now be applied to all Mechs in the MechLab.

New Year’s Items – Seven unique items are available to decorate your cockpit in celebration of the New Year – the year 3050 in the Inner Sphere including:

o Balloons for that extra cheer

o Hanging New Years Banner

o Ice bucket

o Classy Mech bobblehead, featuring a recognizable Mech

o 3050 hologram – Happy New Years!

o Champagne glass hologram

o Top hat to add some class to your cockpit

Weapon Speed Increases, Performance and Bug Fixes – The projectile speed of all ballistic weapons (except the gauss and AC/2), has been upped resulting in targets taking incoming fire sooner. Performance and bug fixes are also a noticeable change in this week’s content update.